parish records.

[steb57]

hello all,
i've started dipping my toes into the pool of parish records. just wondered what info i might expect to find on such records? the ones i have seen up to yet, do not seem to include parents names. is this normal?
steve.

[rockyfowler]

The following dates have particular significance:

* 1538 – The keeping of parish registers was mandated but many parishes took time to implement
this. Only a small percentage of parishes have surviving registers from this period.
* 1598 - Copies of entries in registers were to be sent to the bishop of their diocese: known as
Bishop’s Transcripts.
* 1643-1659 – Registers were very variably kept during the English Civil War and the
Commonwealth period which followed. Some registers of this period contain a lot of extra detail,
some do not survive at all. Marriages in particular may be missing as they may have been conducted
by deposed or deprived ministers and never entered into any register.
* 1711 – Register pages were supposed to be ruled and numbered though this was widely ignored.
* 1733 – The use of Latin in registers is prohibited.
* 1752 – Calendar reform took effect in September 1752.(NB Scotland had changed in 1600). Prior
to this the year commenced on 25th March, so any register entry for December 1750 would have been
followed by January 1750. The 11 day adjustment made that year resulted in the start of the UK tax
year moving from 25th March to 5th April.
* 1754 – Hardwicke’s Marriage Act (passed in 1753) came into force which required a separate
marriage register. Marriage entries now contained the names of witnesses and signatures of the
couple. Banns were now reuqired and these registers may also survive. Many forms of clandestine
marriage now became illegal.
* 1763 – The minimum age for marriage was now set at 16. Those under 21 needed the consent of
parents Before this date marriage of girls of 12 and boys of 14 was possible. Individuals that are
over 21 often have their age listed simply as of “full age”.
* 1812 – George Rose’s Act. New pre-printed registers were to be used for separate baptism,
marriage and burial registers as a way of standardizing records.
* 1837 - Civil registration introduced. A format of register was used with a fuller range of
information recorded.

[Northern Lass]

hello all,
i've started dipping my toes into the pool of parish records. just wondered what info i might expect to find on such records? the ones i have seen up to yet, do not seem to include parents names. is this normal?
steve.

The early ones will only have names of couple on and if you are lucky whether bach spinster
whether signed or not
and wits

then after 1837....forget the date
you get the father

I have this info from my notes from someone....

"For marriages, the format of the entry in the parish register was changed by the Hardwick Marriage Act such that after 1754, the parishes of the parties being married was required to be stated. After 1837, the format changed to the same as the civil marriage certificate requiring the abode, occupation, father’s name and occupation to be given for both the bride and the groom.

Prior to these dates it was at the whim of the incumbent or his clerk as to whether any additional information was included in the register other than the date and the names of the parties concerned.

The above comments apply specifically to the Church of England. For non-conformists, it was the individual denominations/chapels that decided as to what they should include in their registers (that is if they did indeed keep a register). Again, though, for marriages after 1837 they were required to adopt the standard marriage certificate format."

[MarkCDodd]

Most Roman Catholic registers add further information to the Baptism records such as where and when married and when they died.

[Northern Lass]

hello all,
i've started dipping my toes into the pool of parish records. just wondered what info i might expect to find on such records? the ones i have seen up to yet, do not seem to include parents names. is this normal?
steve.

Hi Steve are there any we can help you with?

if so just ask